﻿220 
  LE 
  CONTE— 
  SYNOPSIS 
  OF 
  THE 
  

  

  the 
  posterior 
  pair 
  in 
  the 
  groups 
  of 
  genuine 
  Melolonthidce 
  varies. 
  Why, 
  then, 
  may 
  

   not 
  all 
  these 
  cases 
  of 
  variation, 
  great 
  or 
  small, 
  in 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  stigmata 
  he 
  

   brought 
  together 
  in 
  one 
  large 
  group, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  placed 
  between 
  the 
  pleurosticti 
  

   and 
  laparosticti, 
  connected 
  more 
  closely 
  with 
  the 
  former 
  than 
  with 
  the 
  latter. 
  The 
  

   essential 
  character 
  of 
  this 
  large 
  group 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  negation 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  

   the 
  other 
  two 
  ; 
  and 
  we 
  would 
  thus 
  have 
  the 
  following 
  expression 
  of 
  relations 
  : 
  

  

  Stigmata 
  abdominis 
  in 
  segmontis 
  vcntralibus 
  sita 
  postico 
  fortiter 
  divergentia, 
  ultima 
  

   conspicua 
  ............... 
  Laparosticti. 
  

  

  Stigmata 
  abdominis 
  parum 
  divergentia, 
  variabiles, 
  at 
  in 
  membrano 
  non 
  sita, 
  ultima 
  saepe 
  

   conspicua 
  ............... 
  Melolonthida:. 
  

  

  Stigmata 
  abdominis 
  in 
  membrano 
  inter 
  segmenta 
  ventralia 
  et 
  dorsalia 
  sita, 
  ultima 
  obtecta 
  Pleurosticti. 
  

  

  Besides 
  this 
  difficulty 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  limits 
  and 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  family, 
  

   some 
  difference 
  in 
  observation 
  appears 
  to 
  result 
  from 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  

   used 
  in 
  its 
  division. 
  Thus, 
  for 
  example, 
  the 
  ventral 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  Sericidse 
  are 
  

   described 
  as 
  free 
  by 
  Erichson 
  and 
  Lacordaire, 
  and 
  as 
  connate 
  by 
  Burmeister; 
  the 
  

   sutures 
  are 
  in 
  reality 
  distinct, 
  though 
  probably 
  immovable. 
  Nevertheless, 
  although 
  

   so 
  deceptive, 
  this 
  character 
  cannot 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  study 
  be 
  abandoned, 
  

   though 
  perhaps 
  something 
  may 
  be 
  done 
  to 
  render 
  it 
  more 
  reliable. 
  

  

  Modifying 
  the 
  tables 
  of 
  Erichson 
  and 
  Lacordaire 
  to 
  suit 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  

   views 
  enunciated 
  above, 
  and 
  omitting 
  the 
  groups 
  not 
  found 
  in 
  our 
  territory, 
  the 
  

   following 
  table 
  may 
  be 
  formed 
  : 
  

  

  I. 
  Mandibulae 
  sub 
  clypeo 
  tectae. 
  

  

  A. 
  Coxae 
  anticae 
  transversa? 
  haud 
  prominulae. 
  

  

  Parapleurae 
  lata?. 
  

  

  Segmenta 
  abdominis 
  haud 
  connata 
  1. 
  Macrophyllse. 
  

  

  Segmenta 
  abdominis 
  suturis 
  obliteratis 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  2. 
  Melolonthae. 
  

   Parapleurae 
  angustae 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  3. 
  Rhizotrogi. 
  

  

  B. 
  Coxae 
  anticae 
  conicae 
  prominulae. 
  

  

  Parapleurae 
  angustae 
  vel 
  mediocres 
  ; 
  tarsi 
  onychio 
  distincto 
  ; 
  tibia; 
  posteriores 
  bicalcaratee. 
  

   Abdomen 
  segmentis 
  ventralibus 
  haud 
  connatis 
  : 
  

  

  segmentum 
  sextum 
  haud 
  conspicuum 
  4. 
  Diplotaxes. 
  

  

  segmentum 
  sextum 
  conspicuum. 
  

   Labrum 
  connatum 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  5. 
  Sericae. 
  

  

  Labrum 
  distinctum 
  : 
  

  

  ungues 
  divergentes, 
  fixi 
  6. 
  Macrodactyli. 
  

  

  ungues 
  mobiles, 
  cheliformes 
  7. 
  Dichelonychae. 
  

  

  Abdomen 
  segmentis 
  ventralibus 
  arete 
  connatis 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  8. 
  Lasiopodes. 
  

  

  Parapleurae 
  magnae. 
  

  

  Tarsi 
  onychio 
  nullo 
  ; 
  tibiae 
  unicalcaratae 
  vel 
  ecalcaratae 
  . 
  . 
  9. 
  H 
  o 
  p 
  1 
  i 
  a? 
  . 
  

  

  II. 
  Mandibulae 
  ante 
  clypeum 
  conspicuae. 
  

   Parapleurae 
  maximoe 
  (abdomen 
  segmentis 
  liberis) 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  10. 
  G 
  1 
  a 
  p 
  h 
  y 
  r 
  i 
  . 
  

  

  